The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) has undertaken clinical trials and other cooperative studies in an effort to advance knowledge in the curative and palliative management of cancer. Through the collaboration of the radiation therapy centers joined in this group enough patients can be entered into these studies to answer significant questions in the treatment of cancer, questions which could not be answered on the basis of the number of patients seen in any one institution. Since many of these questions involve an evaluation of multimodality approaches to the problems of cancer management, RTOG is undertaking cooperative clinical trials with other groups, such as the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and the Central Oncology Group. A sophisticated biostatistical center, which is an integral part of the RTOG, assures that these studies are formulated and analyzed on a statistically valid basis. The complexity of the treatment techniques employed in the RTOG protocols and the strict criteria and documentation required for statistical consistency and validity call for an effort considerably in excess of that expended for radiation therapy in routine cases. Without funds to support the additional workload, provisional members who strongly support the goals of the group in theory are finding it increasingly difficult to do so in fact. Supplemental support is needed to enable these members to fill the minimal need of secretarial support required for cases entered into RTOG studies.